For Sango
by Griddlebone
Summary: Miroku wants to do something special for Sango; Kagome is only too happy to oblige. There's nothing quite like a little bit of awkwardness...


Inuyasha led the way down the well-worn path to Kaede's village, grumbling about the slowness of his human companions. Kagome walked a short distance behind him, lost in thought and vaguely worried about the two others that traveled with them; Miroku was keeping pace, but Sango lagged ever further behind.

Kagome slowed her own steps until Miroku caught up to her. "Hey Miroku," she began, hesitantly, "Do you know what's got Sango so upset?"

He cast a glance back over his shoulder and shrugged. "She has not said anything to me about it, though I would guess that it has something to do with our recent encounter with her brother."

"You're probably right," Kagome sighed. "I wish there was something I could do to cheer her up. She looks so gloomy…"

"Yes, it's a terrible thing to see a woman so lovely look so sad," he agreed.

"Why don't you walk me to the well tonight, before I go home," she suggested. "Maybe we can come up with something if we put our heads together."

Miroku smirked. "What about Inuyasha? Will we include him in this?"

"Inuyasha? No, he's too dense for something like this." One of the hanyou's ears flicked in her direction, and she knew she would pay for that comment later.

"Very well," the monk said, his expression rather smug. "To that end, I shall devote my afternoon meditation to thoughts of Sango, and how best to improve her mood."

Kagome very nearly snorted in laughter, drawing strange looks from their friends. _'Improve her mood,' indeed, you pervert._

ooooo

"Maybe you should give her something to cheer her up. A small gift of some sort, or a token of your appreciation," Kagome suggested. She was leaning against the old well, trying to come up with some way to get Miroku to open up to Sango... and to get him to think it was his idea in the first place.

She knew that he would be able to cheer Sango up better than any of the others, if only he would see it.

"If I were to present Sango with a gift, it would have to be something special, something befitting a warrior such as her," he commented quietly.

Kagome's heart went all aflutter at the seriousness in his tone. Miroku was so seldom serious, and to hear him being earnest about his admiration of Sango was even more rare. There was just something about those two that made her want to see them together. They would make each other happy, she just knew it.

And they deserved to be happy, after all they had been through.

"Well, do you have anything in mind?" she prompted.

"Nothing ordinary will do," he mused. "Not for someone so extraordinary –"

Kagome giggled. "I think you're going about this all wrong."

He quirked a quizzical brow and waited for her to continue.

"Sango told me something a while ago," she said, feeling suddenly ashamed to be violating her friend's trust this way. If Sango knew she was meeting with Miroku at night and in relative secrecy, she would be beyond hurt; if she knew Kagome was telling him such private things, Sango would probably never speak to her again. "But you can't tell her that I told you!"

"Ah, a secret, then. I promise that she will hear no secrets from me."

She gave him a dubious look to let him know that she was well aware of his track-record for honesty. But in this case, she trusted him. "She doesn't think that you see her as a woman."

He actually looked shocked, taken aback, even, at that. She might even go so far as to describe his expression as _horrified_.

Finally, he managed, "I thought I had always made my appreciation perfectly clear. Perhaps I should –"

"Perhaps you should give her something that shows your appreciation for her as a woman and doesn't involve grabbing her butt," Kagome interrupted, frowning.

"So Sango does not enjoy my displays of affection?"

Kagome sighed. _You'll never learn, Miroku, will you?_ "Well, no… getting slapped generally isn't a good sign…"

"A gift for a special _woman_, then," he said, thinking aloud and conveniently ignoring her comment about the slaps. "Hair ornaments are lovely, but impractical. Cosmetics do not suit her. Her skin is already so fine and beautiful –"

"I was thinking of something simple, like flowers, maybe."

"It is a lovely thought, Kagome… but where would I find flowers at this time of year?" He gestured, indicating the leafless trees all around, evidence of the approaching winter. "I cannot do the impossible to prove myself to her, as much as I might like to."

_That_ was the kind of thing she had wanted to hear. Now if only he could ever be so open with Sango! "Maybe you can't, but I can," she said, grinning. "There are shops in my time, that sell flowers all year round. I can buy some for you tomorrow before I come back."

"You would do that for me?"

She smiled. "If I can help you help Sango smile again, then of course I will!" She did not add that she might have other intentions, but she saw Miroku's expression grow guarded before she turned to enter the well.

"I'll try to be back around sunset, okay? So meet me here, and don't let Sango come with you."

He nodded.

_Please don't mess this up, Miroku. Sango's in love with you! And I just know that, deep down, you're in love with her, too…_

She took a deep breath, and jumped.

ooooo

Miroku finally had a sense of the impatience Inuyasha felt, waiting for Kagome to return through the well. Ordinarily, he considered himself a patient man, content to bide his time and enjoy the temporary break; this time, he found himself very nearly going mad at the wait.

To judge by her sullen behavior, Miroku guessed that Sango suspected that something untoward had occurred during his meeting with Kagome; he wanted to sigh with exasperation, but knew it would be best not to let on that he knew something was wrong. So he continued to focus on his pretend meditation, but the urge to do something remained strong.

Kagome had promised to return before nightfall, but as the day inched past noon, he was beginning to wonder how much of this he could take.

It was harder than he expected, to see Sango so obviously hurting and ignore her distress as if he were blind to it.

To make matters worse, he knew that he would have to deal with Inuyasha's suspicious sniffing around before much longer. The hanyou had been barely able to contain his curiosity and jealous when Miroku returned to the village last night; he was certain he had little to look forward to today.

This was what he got for agreeing to take part in one of Kagome's little schemes, he supposed.

ooooo

When Inuyasha failed to turn up within the next few hours, Miroku had to laugh. The answer was obvious. He had undoubtedly gone through the well to Kagome's time, probably under the excuse of making sure that Miroku had done nothing dishonorable. But at the very least it meant that he had one less thing to deal with.

Seizing an opportunity provided by Kaede, who had asked Sango to help with some chores, Miroku had fled the village and resorted to wandering in the forest. Shippo had joined him for a time, but the little fox grew bored quickly and had returned to the village as soon as he got hungry, leaving Miroku alone with his thoughts.

Sunset could not come soon enough, and at the first sign of the sun creeping close to the horizon, he found himself at the old well.

It was a long, quiet, time before the familiar blue light flashed from within, and was followed by the sound of familiar bickering voices.

"They're for Sango. Miroku's going to give them to her."

"What does she need something stupid like _flowers_ for?"

Miroku chuckled, picturing the disdainful look Kagome was probably giving Inuyasha.

"Don't you want her to be happy?"

"You shoulda bought her a new sword, or something _useful_."

"You just don't get it!" There came the sounds of a brief scuffle. "And don't just go jumping out of here. I can't climb out and carry all this stuff."

"Are you in need of assistance, lady Kagome?" Miroku asked, finally finding his voice.

"She's just fine, monk," Inuyasha growled, leaping out of the well with Kagome in tow. The reason Kagome could not climb out of the well on her own was obvious: in addition to her large backpack, she was also carrying a sizeable bouquet of fresh red roses.

Miroku's eyes widened a bit at the sight. He knew that Kagome's world was a place of wonders, but he had somehow not expected her to be able to produce flowers at any time she pleased.

She handed the bouquet to him as soon as Inuyasha would let her go. "Do you think she'll like these?"

"I don't see what's not to like…" he admitted.

She smiled. "Roses are romantic. There's no way she can think you don't see her as a woman if you give her these."

Before Miroku could say anything, Inuyasha scowled and said, "She thinks Miroku doesn't see her as a woman? What the fuck's wrong with her? He grabs anything that's female, and he grabs her…"

Kagome looked apologetic. "You go find Sango. I'll try to get this one to keep his mouth shut and stay out of your way."

ooooo

Miroku ran into Sango on the path back to the village, though he was still some distance from it.

"Ah, Sango, I wasn't expecting to see you here," he said pleasantly. And it was true. He had thought she would still be with Kaede, since he had not told her when Kagome would be returning. "I was looking for –"

"For Kagome?" she asked derisively. She blushed, realizing how poorly she was behaving, and how obvious she was being about her jealousy. He wondered for a moment where she thought he had gotten the flowers from, if not from Kagome. "I apologize. I will –"

"Actually, Sango, I was looking," he said, hesitating ever so slightly before bowing and offering the flowers with a flourish, "for _you_."

"For… me?" She looked indecisively at the flowers.

"You seemed in need of cheering up."

"I… did?"

"I take it you are no longer feeling quite so sad?"

"No, not at all… I, thank you."

"You are most welcome, Sango. If there is ever anything I can do to make you feel better, please know that I would be happy to oblige."

She was blushing. A lot. He had to admit, it was adorable. And possibly worth the effort and awkwardness.

Not possibly, _definitely_.

"Were you looking for something, Sango?" he asked gently.

"More of a some_one_, actually," she admitted. "You've been gone all day… I was starting to get worried, when you didn't come back."

"So you're not going to the well?"

"Well, I found you, so, no, I guess."

"Shall we return to the village?"

"Yes. I'd like to – I mean, it's getting late… I – I mean…"

Before she could grow more flustered, he took her hand and said, "We'll go back together, then."

ooooo

From her place behind a nearby tree, Kagome was able to watch without being seen. Even so, she had to clamp both hands over her mouth to keep from squealing with delight and giving herself away when Sango blushed and allowed Miroku to take her hand and lead her on a stroll back toward the village.

_Mission accomplished!_


End file.
